Seashell Summer Salad
a homemade pasta recipe
Janette is a self taught pasta enthusiast from Webster, New York. American born but Italian ancestry runs in her veins. Throughout the years trying out different hobbies and cooking techniques pasta was a whirlwind of a love affair. The early days were wildly delicious failures, but with practice and persistence pasta had become an art form all on its own.
A truly coastal twist to a classic Mediterranean salad, with a craveably light dressing for those hot summer days.
TIME (ACTIVE) | 1 H 30 M
TIME (INACTIVE) | 40 M
TOTAL | 2 H 10 M
5-8 oz SERVINGS
| 24 oz
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
PASTA MACHINE
SPRAY BOTTLE WITH FINE MIST
SHARP KNIFE
IMMERSION BLENDER OR WHISK
FOOD SCALE
Making the dough:
- On your bench measure out your first 300g of semolina flour and pour onto your work surface. To this you will add 1 heaping tbsp of butterfly pea flower powder and 160g of tepid water.
- Begin mixing your liquid inside the well to hydrate the color and then begin mixing in small amounts of flour and as that is absorbed continue mixing in more. Once you have created a thick pudding like consistency and the liquid portion will not run off the bench if the well is broken, begin chopping and mixing with your bench scraper. Continue to chop until a scrambled egg appearance has emerged then begin combining with your hands into a rough shaggy ball. At this point you will start kneading the dough. Knead for approximately 7 minutes, cover/wrap and set aside.
- Repeat this process with the remaining flour and water omitting the color in this dough.
- At the completion of both doughs allow them to rest for 30 minutes from the time the final dough was completed.
Assembling the shells:
- Once your dough has rested, cut your dough in half, covering and setting aside the remaining portion.
- This open portion is your active dough we will pass this through this pasta machine. Starting at the largest setting pass thought once and then fold both edges to the center overlapping to create thirds. Once you have clean edges coming out of the machine you do not have to fold into thirds any further. You will create a long sheet using the widest setting. Pass your dough through that setting twice. Do this with one each blue and white.
*If your dough is getting sticky or is getting rippled from the machine sprinkle lightly with semolina flour on both sides and continue rolling until desired thickness is achieved.
- You will now find you have a nice sheet of pasta take this sheet and set it along your work surface and roll out the second color.
- With your 2 sheets now made, spritz a light spritz of water onto the white pasta sheet and lay your blue pasta sheet on top, be sure to match the edges and length as close as possible.
- Roll out dough with rolling pin lightly just enough to adhere the two doughs and not change their thicknesses. Then starting at one of the shorter ends roll up the dough tight enough that the dough will not unroll but loose enough to not change the thickness of the sheet. Roll into a log that’s approx 2 inches in diameter. The ends will push out as you roll, allow this. Once the log is formed, there will be a bump at the ending edge. Place that down on your work surface and roll it to seal that edge.
- With a sharp knife cut along one of the pointed ends to remove that tip and then when a clean swirl is visualized cut sections of 1/4” to 3/8” do this with the entire log, set aside the pointed ends they are scrap.
- Taking your first slice flour both sides, roll flat with a rolling pin then roll the preferred side down on a gnocchi board to create the grooves like a shell would have. Each slice will look like an elongated oval. Cut each oval in half along the shortest width to make each piece into a steep arch.
- To fold into the shell, take the two square corners on the cut edge and fold in to almost midline. Turn and roll the the folded sides and pinch just the top where they meet. Then taking your thumbs place them both on the inside of the roll and your index fingers across from your thumbs on the folded and rolled end, press them together, making the pinch equal to the thickness of the flat part of the shell, this will allow for more even cooking. Flip over your piece and you have created your first shell. Make all shells with all dough, and remember each shell will be unique just as in nature.
Cooking the shells:
- Start your water to boil in a medium to large shallow pot, adding enough salt to just taste a little saltiness. When you have achieved a rolling boil, toss in your pasta to cook, so this is groups to not over fill the pot. After a minute or 2 check for done-ness. Once cooked strain, and set aside.
Making the dressing:
- In a medium to larger sized bowl add olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oregano, minced garlic, salt and pepper, with a whisk or immersion blender combine all ingredients until emulsified. Set aside.
To assemble the salad:
- Add your cooked shells to the dressing bowl along with diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, chopped baby spinach, red onion, and olives.
- Fold dressing over all ingredients until well coated. Serve chilled.
2 days refrigerated
When making a dressing choose a bowl large enough to assemble your salad in to save dishes.
Make your 2 pasta logs and wrap one and set aside to make assembly faster.
powder
A natural food colorant, Butterfly pea flower powder can be used in many sweet treats, giving them an alluring vibrant blue hue.
0.25 oz - PORTION$0.50
2 oz - JAR$7
2 oz - REFILL$8
8 oz - REFILL$19
greek
flakes
Greek oregano is popular and best known in America for its use in tomato sauces for pizza. However, its woodsy pungency can complement a variety of other savory meat and vegetable dishes.
0.14 oz - PORTION$0.50
0.53 oz - REFILL$3
2 oz - REFILL$9
dried
coarse grain
This artisanal dried coarse grain French grey salt is rich in minerals and is tinged grey from the clay bottom of the tidal pools from which it is harvested. Briny and flavorful, but softer on the palate than commercial salts.
0.35 oz - PORTION$0.50
3 oz - JAR$3
3 oz - REFILL$2
16 oz - REFILL$8
vietnamese
fine ground
A fine ground version of our Vietnamese black peppercorns. Complete with the same intense aroma, and flavor notes of wood. This fine grain form is perfect for table use.
0.25 oz - PORTION$0.50
2 oz - JAR$6
2 oz - REFILL$5
8 oz - REFILL$13
